Kids
My grandnephew, Ethan Hadlock continues to amaze me each year. He is 17 years old today, but he doesn’t act like a typical 17-year-old. Ethan has such a sweet nature and a kind, loving heart. Whenever I see Ethan, he greets me with a hug, and I am not alone. Ethan loves everyone in our family, and he makes sure that each and every one of us know just how much he loves us. Ethan is very kind and loving, but he also has a sense of humor much like his parents. He loves a good joke or prank, but never a hurtful one. He reminds me more and more of his dad, Ryan Hadlock every day. I would say that Ethan is his dad’s mini-me, but there is nothing “mini” about 
either of these very tall men. Nevertheless, Ethan is a chip off the old block for sure. His mom, Chelsea Hadlock wasn’t cheated though, because Ethan’s sister, Aurora Hadlock is definitely her mom’s mini-me!!
Ethan has been making a lot of changes in his life. He bought a pickup and got a job at Target in June, both of which he is quite proud. He is a responsible worker and driver too. His bosses know they can count on Ethan to be there on time and to give it his all every time. He is taking auto shop at school and loves it. The class is teaching him a lot about working on his truck. While there are women who are great mechanics, I think it’s important for a man to know how to work on their own vehicle. Ethan is embracing that challenge, and we’re all proud of him.
As he looks forward to his post high school future, he is weighing his options. This year he has been to the University of Wyoming (UW) campus tour. He’s currently debating between traditional UW classes and trade school, so he’s hoping to check out Wyo Tech in the next few months as well. The year hasn’t been all future planning though. Ethan has taken in a couple of Cowboys games, and a Broncos game with his dad. He still hangs out with the same 3 friends he has had since elementary school, but now a whole lot more boys have joined in this group of buddies. For his birthday party, Ethan decided to go to Jump Craze Indoor Trampoline Park with his friends!! I’ve never been to Jump Craze, but I hear it’s an absolute blast. Today is Ethan’s 17th birthday. Happy birthday Ethan!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Allen Beach, has had quite an eventful life. When he was a boy, growing up, his family moved fairly often, giving him the chance to live in several states. After graduating from high school, Allen joined the United States Navy and became a corpsman. Once trained, he was stationed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he cared for, among others, the President of the United States.
After his time at Walter Reed, Allen was stationed in Japan, which I believe was the favorite chapter of all his travels. It 
was there he met his wife, Gaby, who changed his life forever. Gaby was also in the Navy, and Allen was instantly drawn to her. Before long, they were inseparable. Eventually, Allen took Gaby to Bali, where he proposed and she said yes. He felt complete, but their adventures were far from over. Their lives would take them to Casper, Wyoming where he worked in hospital administration following his college years, and Gaby pursued her own career in nursing. It also gave them time to spend with his family in Casper.
Still, their travels were not over. Eventually, in what I perceive to be possibly their last move, their careers took 
them to Oregon, where Gaby works at a Veteran’s hospital and Allen works in the pharmaceutical industry. Allen works as a Care Management Associate for Aetna, teaming up with doctors to coordinate care plans that fit with Aetna health insurance, which CVS acquired a few years back. He works from home, which is a trend that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since become a sought-after arrangement. Allen loves the setup, and it’s likely his dog, Ollie, enjoys it just as much. Today is Allen’s birthday. Happy birthday Allen!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
As the new year begins, we find ourselves thinking about our mom, Collene Spencer, as we do every New Year’s Day, because this would have been her 90th birthday. It’s hard to believe that she has been in Heaven for almost eleven years now. I know that she is celebrating with all the family who have gone before us. Of course, time means nothing in Heaven. Eternity knows no breakdown of the years. One second is the same as the next…pure blissful happiness. It doesn’t get better than that. They are all so very happy, and it makes it easy to be happy for them.
Nevertheless, it also accentuates the loneliness we feel here when we think of them. Sometimes, during the year, when we get busy with our lives, we are able to cope with their absence, at least until something reminds us of them or of a moment, and we miss them all over again. Then comes their birthday or death day and missing them becomes the main focus. Today, as we celebrate the new year, I am also thinking about how 
much I miss my mom. I cant believe that eleven years have come and gone since her went home. She had done all the things she had on her “bucket list” and she was ready. She had told us several times that she was ready, so while her leaving was shocking in one way, it wasn’t in another. They couldn’t even find a cause of death. She just left. That fact still amazes me, eleven years later.
When I think of Mom and Dad back together again, I smile. They were best friends. They never tired of being together. They loved to travel, taking their girls to many amazing places. Our travel was mostly in the United States, because they loved this country…and they wanted my sisters and me to know how wonderful it was. We saw many places in many states, and we knew how blessed we were. Not many kids in those days were as “traveled” as we were. From those trips came favorite places, and places we saw only once. From those trips came history lessons and simple fun times. While the trips were varied in many ways, there were many 
common parts…like the Oregon Trail markers. Those dreaded Oregon Trail markers…at least they were dreaded then. These days, because I love history so much, those markers are interesting, and I wish I could remember each one we visited and its location. They mean more to me now that I am older. I wish I had told my parents that. They would have loved it. Today would have been my mom’s 90th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Mom. I know you and Dad, as well as Alena, are having a great celebration. Someday we will all celebrate together again. I look forward to it.
During my childhood years, my sisters, Cheryl Masterson, Caryl Reed, Alena Stevens, Allyn Hadlock, and I always knew where we would spend New Year’s Eve…and where our parents, Allen and Collene Spencer would spend theirs too. New Year’s Day was our mom’s birthday, and Dad loved to make it all a big deal. So, they threw a party and invited their friends and family. Because my sisters and I were there too, our cousins also came with their parents. That way it was fun for everyone, and no one needed a babysitter. Our little house was jam packed full of people and the party often flowed out into the yard, both front and back.
Those New Year’s Eve parties continued for the rest of Mom’s life, and beyond too. While there have been a few years without them, most years we had some kind of a party, but after mom passed, and since Dad had been 
gone for eight years by then, the parties were different…even while she was still with us. I remember one party in particular, when Mom was feeling a bit sad. You see, she and Dad always danced on New Year’s Eve, but Dad wasn’t there to dance anymore. Enter Jason Sawdon, my niece Jessi’s husband. Standing was difficult for Mom without a walker. That didn’t matter to Jason. He held her up in his strong arms so, she could have her New Year’s Eve dance that year. It was such a precious moment…one that my sisters and I will never forget.
These days, both Mom and Dad are in Heaven, as is our sister, Alena, so the party will be different again. Alena didn’t always come to the New Year’s Eve parties, but we always knew that she was here, on Earth. Now, she isn’t. Nevertheless, I know that she is watching the festivities with Mom and Dad from Heaven. The party will 
be different again, because that is just the way it is as time marches on. Things change. People are added to the family, and people leave to go to Heaven. Nevertheless, we are still a family, and I know that Mom and Dad are very pleased to see their descendants gathering together to bring in another year. While it’s different, it is always worth looking forward to. Each new year is worth looking forward to. It is a gift from God. So, here’s to 2026. Happy New Year everyone!! May the coming year be better than the last year.
Some people open gifts on Christmas day, and some people open gifts on Christmas eve, while still others end up celebrating the holiday on a different day, due to scheduling issues. Our family had done all three of these types of celebration, and because one of our daughters lives in Washington with her family, we also have a long-distance celebration too. The reality is that life is what you make it, and celebrations are too. Flexibility is key. Rather than put a big guilt trip on people, work with them.
I think the most extreme celebration we had, was during Covid-19. My husband, Bob and I ended up having Covid on Thanksgiving. It was a bummer, but we figured, 
“better Thanksgiving, than Christmas” but that didn’t exactly work either. Our daughter Corrie Petersen and her husband, Kevin got it over Christmas, and to make matter worse, our family had a baby in our midst, so we didn’t want to cause her to get sick. So, that year ended up being the longest wait for Christmas since the days when Christmas had been banned in the mid-1600s. We were finally able to get together to celebrate Christmas on January 19th.
Some people celebrate Christmas Eve in a slightly different way, like my grandparents, George and Hattie Byer, who were married on that day in 1927. Marrying on Christmas Eve wasn’t all that uncommon in those days, especially if the families had moved out west. The families were together for the holiday, so sometimes it was 
decided to add a wedding to the festivities. Whatever the case may have been for my grandparents, their marriage started a family that boasts somewhere between 600 and 800 people now. We haven’t counted it in years, so I can’t be sure just how many of us there are, but we all feel blessed to com from such a wonderful couple, and it makes Christmas Eve just a little bit more special. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa Byer are in Heaven now, but they are fondly remembered on this their 98th anniversary. We love and miss them very much. Merry Christmas Eve everyone. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, no matter how you celebrate.
My great grandniece, Izabella Harman is ten today, and that just shocks me. My first thought is that she is getting so big…so grown up, and she is, but when I saw the picture of Izabella with her Great Dane-Lab mix dog, Samson, who is one of four family dogs, well, it was obvious that while she is growing up, she isn’t exactly big. Izabella, whom I normally call Belle, although I don’t know if she still likes that name or not, is her mother, Melanie’s mini-me. Maybe it was just me, but I didn’t realize that when she was little. Nevertheless, the older she gets, the more obvious it becomes.
Aside from looking just like her mom, Belle is very much her own person. She is always so sweet and helpful with everything! Known, at least in her own family, for her “sass” one might say that it has definitely become more noticeable as she’s gotten older. She and her sister, Alice and 
brother, Jaxx share a great bond, even though they might fight like siblings do. They’re always together playing some strange game. They have great imaginations. From the bedroom, their parents can hear their laughter, and Belle’s is always the loudest. She has a great sense of humor, but if anyone gets hurt, she’s the first to help, and the first to tell if someone does something they shouldn’t. I’m sure her siblings would say that can be good or bad, depending on who ends up in trouble.
Belle is very much a princess, but she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty when helping Dad work on cars or 
pitching in wherever needed. She’s a “girly girl” with attitude. She loves trying to prank people and every now and then pulls it off pretty well!! She’s super funny, always calling out others when they mess up their words, and laughing just as hard when she’s the one who slips up. Part of laughing at others is being able to take it when the joke is on you, and Belle does that very well. She very expressive. Every time she leaves her mom or dad, she says, “I love you, you’re my best friend,” though, according to her mom, her dad is truly her best friend. Nevertheless, she’s so sweet she makes sure to tell her mom the same. That’s the mark of a real sweetie. Today is Izabella’s 10th birthday…that most important double-digit birthday. Happy birthday Belle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandnephew, Isaac Spethman has always been a bundle of energy. He was always busy from the time he was just seven years old when he talked a Grant Street Grocery into “hiring” him. He provided the needed resume, and they were so touched that they put him to work. Of course, they couldn’t pay him, so he go candy, sandwiches, or other items from the store. It was a mutually beneficial agreement, and both parties were delighted.
When Isaac was a little boy, his parents, my niece, Jenny Spethman and her husband Steve were told by a number of people that their son was ADHD. They were told he needed to be medicated to calm him down, but they chose not to do so, and not to label him. Instead, they channeled his energy in ways that helped him to focus and be productive. They never told him that he couldn’t do something that he dreamed up, unless it was dangerous, of 
course. The Grant Street Grocery job was across the street from their home, and they knew the owners. They knew he was safe and occupied. They didn’t know how long his interest would last, but it lasted a long time. The people at the store started teaching him about running the store, including cuts of meat. They just couldn’t let him cut the meat. Isaac had such a wonderful experience working at Grant Street Grocery, that he has had a job ever since, and just before he turned 18, he purchased his first home.
Success is often measured in the things we have and the accomplishments we make, but for Isaac, it was also measured in the things he didn’t do or didn’t have forced upon him. He has never taken medication for ADHD, 
nor has he ever been labeled with it. His parents raised him instead to be the best man he could be, and to focus that incredible energy he had into good things, helping others, and creating the kind of life he wanted, even if he did things at a much younger age that society would have expected. I’m not saying that people should never give their kids medication for ADHD, but rather that people should be sure of their options first, and either way, don’t label a child with things that will ultimately limit them. Today is Isaac’s 19th birthday. Happy birthday Isaac!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
The past year has been a hard one for my niece, Michelle Miller…probably the hardest she has ever faced. Shortly before her birthday, her mother, Alena Stevens was diagnosed with cancer, and she passed away on April 23, 2025. There is no easy way to lose your mother, no matter how young or how old she may have been. Our parents are like our anchor, and we feel their loss deeply. Michelle is the oldest of my sister and brother-in-law, Mike Stevens’ children. She and her siblings, Garrett Stevens and Lacey Killinger have done their very best to be supportive of their dad as he and they grieve Alena’s loss. They have been very strong for each other, and that is no easy task when one is hurting.
Michelle, being the eldest sibling, always seemed to be the take charge person. Siblings seem to look up to the 
eldest among them or at least look to them for leadership. Michelle has always proven herself to be a leader in her life. Michelle has always been an artist, and her work very much impresses me. I would love to have her skill, but that is definitely not to be. Michelle and her husband, Matt have been renovating the home they purchased a while back. The heavy work is being done by Matt and his dad, but the design work will be all Michelle, I’m sure. The work they have done so far, has been amazing, and I know that the rest of the house will be amazing too. Michelle comes by her design talents from her mom. Both of them could make a room or home look stunning. It is a blessing to be so capable.
Michelle, a degreed art teacher, had worked at the Nicolaysen Art Museum since graduating. Unfortunately, although she loved the Nic and her role there, being a nonprofit meant no opportunities for raises or promotions. In October, she began searching for a new job and received an offer from Phoenix Capital 
Investments, an oil and gas investment firm. Since starting there in November, she’s really been enjoying her work, earning a significant pay raise, and seeing plenty of room for advancement. Michelle is highly capable and dedicated, and she’s sure to thrive in her new role. Today is Michelle’s birthday!! Happy birthday Michelle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandniece, Reece Balcerzak was born on December 14, 2017. She was a preemie born at 30 weeks, but this miracle girl was a fighter. She persevered through those early days, and 60 days later, Reece was ready to go home. While she was a fighter, it was only in things that are important. Other than that, she is an easy-going fun girl, that everyone wants to be around. While Reece is very popular, she is also the kind of person who feels a deep sense of kindness, fairness, and inclusion. She doesn’t want anyone to be left out of the fun. No wonder everyone wants to be her friend.
Reece has a smiley face that lights up a room, and her personality make everyone want to be her friend. Reece is also a very smart girl. Reece is in second grade now and doing very well. She loves school and learning. She is a curious girl and enjoys each new year very much. Reece doesn’t remember her traumatic beginning, of course, but if she did, she still wouldn’t let it slow her down. I’m sure she has heard about her early start, but that just isn’t the same as what her parents, Keifer and Katie Balcerzak, went through. Her birth is something they will never forget. It was the kind of thing no young parent wants to go through. Still, when the trauma was over and their girl was going home, they felt like the most blessed parents in the world.
For a while, Reece was an only child, but then, just went it seemed like she would always be an only child, 
Reece got a little brother named Asa. She was so happy to have a sibling, and she is such a great big sister. She is a great role model for Asa, and he wants to just like her is so many ways. Reece is the kind of kid that makes her brother look up to her. The latest news is that Reece made her theatre debut in November when she was cast as an orphan girl in the musical Annie!! She auditioned in August after her mom happened to spot the signup sheet, leaving her with less than 24 hours to pick and prepare a song to perform in front of a group of strangers. I’m not sure who was more nervous, Reece or her mom. Nevertheless, Reece got the part and had a great time with her acting debut. She did great which doesn’t surprise me at all. Today is Reece’s 8th birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
For my nephew, Barry Schulenberg, 2025 has been a busy year. He spent part of the Summer building a tall carport to house his camper trailer. he did a great job and feels good knowing that it will be protected from the elements, especially if we should get a hailstorm here. Next summer, he plans to enclose the sides and back for better protection. Barry and his wife, Kelli have a place east of Casper and they have fixed it up really nice. They have a large incinerator type outdoor stove that hold enough wood to heat the house for days. They also burn our junk mail, along with their own, something we appreciate very much. While it’s not a normal function of a wood stove, it saves us from having to cover the addresses on mail we are getting rid of.
Barry, a supervisor for the Highway Department in Natrona County, is committed to keeping the highways safe 
for everyone who travels on them, and he does an outstanding job. At home, Barry is also a hard worker and prepares for Winter all Summer. He has been cutting wood all summer and has quite a wood pile going. It will easily take care of those cold Wyoming Winter nights. Barry and Kelli love living out in the country where they can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They share their home with their dog, Scout, and they are very happy there, but they also love going camping, hiking, bicycling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. They also love to travel and go to concerts.
One of the highlights of the summer was Barry and Kelli’s hiking trip to Devil’s Tower and northeastern Wyoming. With five scenic trails near the tower, they were able to see stunning views in and around the tower, as well as exploring other trails throughout the region during their vacation. The area around Sundance was 
especially beautiful, and their photos captured its charm perfectly. There is just something about being out in the woods, where it’s peaceful and quiet, that really puts life into perspective. One of the coolest parts of their trip took them to Wyoming’s far northeastern corner, where three states meet. While you can drive close to the spot, making it not really a hike, it’s still worth visiting. Standing at the exact point where three borders converge cool. Their love of hiking has shown them some beautiful places over the years. Today in Barry’s birthday. Happy birthday Barry! Have a great day! We love you!
